Russia to take Ukraine to Court Over Undelivered Navy Engines

Russia plans to field six Grigorovich-class frigates and eight Gorshkov-class frigates.

Russia is taking Ukraine to court to force the delivery of an unspecified number of prepaid engines required to complete several naval vessels, the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation said in a statement Monday.

"[The company] intends to demand from the Ukrainian side in court that it fulfills contracts for turbines that had already been paid for," the company's statement said. The gas turbines are meant for the Admiral Grigorovich-class and Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, which represent the crux of Russia's current naval expansion efforts.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last year slapped a moratorium on defense exports to Russia in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea and subsequent support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. The decision has brought Russian military shipbuilding projects to a halt.

Russia plans to field six Grigorovich-class frigates and eight Gorshkov-class frigates. According to shipbuilder's statement, three Grigorovich-class ships and two Gorshkov-class frigates had already received their engines before Ukraine halted deliveries. The statement did not say how many engines had been paid for.

Grigorovich and Gorshkov-class frigates whose engines were not yet paid for will get new engines developed in Russia, the government's defense industry point man, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, said last week.

Aircraft engine manufacturer Saturn will begin deliveries of a Russian gas turbine engine in late 2017 or early 2018, according to the United Shipbuilding Corporation's statement. Deliveries of the new ships to the Russian navy are now scheduled for early 2020.